Summery lavender chocolate ice cream

Wow, what a summer, isn't it? One hot day after the other until August, greetings from climate change. Probably the only good thing about it: You always have an excuse to take a break for a delicious ice cream to cool down. We really made excessive use of that this summer. And it certainly doesn't surprise anyone that chocolate is our favorite kind. But only pure chocolate is a bit monotonous in the long run. The solution: This delicious lavender chocolate ice cream! It satisfies chocolate and ice cream cravings alike and the lavender component gives the whole thing a refreshing twist. If you have any questions while reading or are looking for some more information about lavender, feel free to scroll down to our FAQs at the end of the article!

The ingredients for the perfect late summer ice cream

The given ingredients make about 8 servings of ice cream. About six if you're training for the Ice Cream Eating World Championships like we are.

For the custard base you will need:

• 1.2 l whipped cream
• 355 ml whole milk
• 9 large egg yolks, whisked
• 350 grams of sugar
• 0.5 teaspoons of salt

And for the lavender syrup:

• 70 grams of sugar
• 80ml of water
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender

For the ice cream:

• 455 g chocolate, chopped

How the ingredients make the delicious lavender chocolate ice cream:

1. Begin by preparing the custard base of the egg. Put the milk and whipped cream in a saucepan and heat the whole thing to about 70° C over medium heat.
2. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly stir in the egg yolks, then the sugar and salt. Stir until the mixture has combined into a mass.
3. Finally, filter the whole thing through a fine sieve so that any remaining sugar or salt crystals do not find their way into the ice cream.
4. For the lavender syrup, put the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat again over medium-high until the mixture is simmering.
5. Then let it simmer over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
6. Then reduce the heat, add the lavender and put a lid on the pot and let the syrup simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Then this mixture must also be passed through a fine sieve so that the syrup is freed from the lavender blossoms.
8. Then set the syrup aside and let it cool.
9. To make the ice cream you need a double boiler. Put this on the plate and let it warm up over medium heat. But be careful that the temperature in the pot does not exceed 43° C during the whole process.
10. When the pot is warmed up, add 950ml of the custard. Pour in the chocolate and stir until it has melted.
11. When the chocolate has melted, add the rest of the custard and syrup and remove the saucepan from the heat.
12. Now fill the ice cream mass into a form that is suitable for the freezer compartment. As soon as the mass has cooled to room temperature, the mass must be placed in the freezer again for at least 2 hours.
13. Meanwhile, stir the ice cream from time to time so that the consistency remains creamy. And as soon as the mass is frozen: Tada, the perfect summer ice cream is ready!

Photo by Gemma Evans on Unsplash

FAQs about lavender chocolate ice cream

Can I also prepare the lavender chocolate ice cream in the ice cream maker?

Sure! If you are one of the lucky people who can call an ice cream machine their own, you can of course simply fill the mixture in there at the end and save yourself the manual stirring during the cooling process. The fact that the creaminess factor of ice cream from an ice cream machine is of course a little higher cannot be denied compared to the others who do not have an ice cream machine.

Lavender - Is it even edible and tasty?

When they think of lavender, many people first think of the fragrant moth bags in their grandparents’ wardrobe and not necessarily of delicious ice cream. But: Lavender is edible and has long been used as a medicinal plant to treat nervousness, restlessness, sunburn and rheumatism. If you want to pick the lavender fresh for the ice cream, make sure to get the so-called real lavender. This is characterized by its narrow leaves. And because dried lavender flowers are more intense than fresh ones, you may have to use a little more of them, otherwise the lavender taste will be less intense.

Is the ice cream also vegan?

In principle, you can definitely "veganize" the ice cream. You then only have to replace the egg yolks with more vegan mass, i.e. depending on which vegan milk alternative you use, for example. You will definitely succeed with an ice cream machine. If you try the vegan recipe, please send us a photo of the result and let us know if it went well. :)